Q24N (VozdeAmerica) In a tit-for-tat action, Venezuelan justice has issued arrest warrants against Argentine officials investigating President Nicolás Maduro and for allegedly being involved in the “theft” of a plane owned by the Venezuelan state.
Venezuelan prosecutors issued new arrest warrants on Monday against Argentine officials, after the country’s justice system ordered the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, who is being investigated for alleged crimes against humanity.
Venezuelan justice also requested the arrest of a group of Argentine judges, prosecutors and deputies for their alleged participation in what it describes as the “theft” of a plane owned by the Venezuelan state.
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Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced that they requested arrest warrants against the Minister of Security of Buenos Aires and president of the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy, Waldo Wolff; Attorney General Carlos Stornelli; Secretary of the Federal Chamber of Buenos Aires, Ana Cristina Juan; prosecutor José Agüero, as well as judges Pablo Bertuzzi, Leopoldo Bruglia and Mariano Llorens.
According to Saab, the accused were guilty of “usurpation of functions, abuse of power, conspiracy, vilification of high-ranking public officials and criminal association.”
Based on the principle of international jurisdiction of human rights, last week the Argentine justice system formalized the request for the arrest for extradition purposes against Maduro and his Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity.
“They are not the judges of the world, just as the United States has wanted to become the world’s police, now the right-wing government of Milei wants to be the world’s justice in matters of human rights,” said the Venezuelan attorney general in a press conference, insisting that the decision of the Argentine justice system is part of an international “alignment” of right-wing governments against the Venezuelan State.
Venezuelan victims, representatives of the Argentine Forum for the Defense of Democracy (FADD) and the Attorney General’s Office of that country requested the arrest of the high-ranking Venezuelan officials in the midst of an open case for alleged crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela.
The most recent report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (FFM) reiterated that human rights violations in Venezuela have worsened after the presidential elections of July 28.
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Last week, the Venezuelan justice system asked Interpol to issue red alert notices against the president of Argentina, Javier Milei; the secretary general of the presidency, Karina Milei; and Patricia Bullrich, Argentina’s Minister of Security, for the case of the plane and for having allegedly committed crimes against humanity.
The Plane case
The prosecutor also reported that arrest warrants were issued against Gerardo Milman, member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies; Judge Federico Villena; Federal Prosecutor Cecilia Incardona; Judge Carlos Vallefin; Judge Roberto Lemus Arias; Deputy Ricardo López; Yamir Santoro; María Eugenia Talerico, former vice president of the Information Unit of the government of former President Mauricio Macri; Leonardo Camiser, sponsoring lawyer; Diego Iglesias, prosecutor and Franco Rinaldi.
According to Saab, they are accused of the alleged commission of the crimes of “aggravated robbery, money laundering, unlawful deprivation of liberty, simulation of a punishable act, unlawful interference, disabling of aircraft and criminal association.”
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This is the Venezuelan State plane, held in Argentina since 2022, during the government of former President Alberto Fernández. The plane was seized by the US justice system for allegedly violating “sanctions, export laws” and maintaining links to terrorism. At the beginning of this year it was transferred to the United States, where it was decommissioned.
The Boeing 747, registration YV3531, operated by the Venezuelan company Emtrasur, a subsidiary of the state-owned Conviasa, was previously owned by the Iranian airline Mahan Air. Its crew, made up of 14 Venezuelans and 5 Iranians, were temporarily detained, subjected to an investigation and later released.
Argentina said that this case was resolved by the Judiciary, which, it insisted, is independent.
Earlier this month, the Argentine government asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest Maduro.
In 2021, the ICC prosecutor announced its decision to open a formal investigation into Venezuela for alleged crimes against humanity that according to the Venezuelan State have never existed.
The leaders of Venezuela and Argentina frequently attack each other verbally, and tensions escalated after questioning the results of the July 28 presidential elections, which gave Maduro the victory amid allegations of fraud. Later, the Venezuelan government decided to break diplomatic relations with Buenos Aires.
Six close collaborators of the opposition leader, María Corina Machado, are sheltered in the residence of the Argentine embassy in Venezuela, accused of allegedly organizing destabilizing plans.
The diplomatic headquarters, whose representation and custody were assumed by Brazil after the expulsion of the Argentine delegation, has been besieged on several occasions by security and intelligence forces of the Venezuelan State.
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